Successful fabrication of similar alloys palladium

Japanese scientists have successfully fabricated new alloys similar to rare metals palladium - the world's first artificial rare metal.

New alloys are produced by the research team of Professor Hiroshi Kitagawa of Kyoto University, and have properties similar to those of palladium - a rare metal located between rhodium and silver on the weekly board. Complete chemical elements.

After being melted at high temperatures, rhodium and silver molecules often do not mix and maintain separation like water and oil. In order to mix these elements, Professor Kitagaoa focused on the technology of producing micro-metal particles.

The team created a solution containing an equal amount of rhodium and silver, turning this solution into a mist and persistently mixing small amounts of this solution with warmed alcohol to create particles of new alloy. Each of these particles has a diameter of 10 nanometers and an atom is a mixture of the two metals with equal mass.

The researchers say the new alloy has the same properties as palladium , which is used as a catalyst to clean up emissions and absorb large amounts of hydrogen gas.

Rhodium, palladium and silver have 45, 46 and 47 electrons respectively. This number of electrons determines the chemical properties of these metals. According to Professor Kitagaoa, the orbits of electrons in rhodium and silver atoms can mix and create similar orbits orbits of electrons in palladium atoms.

Although new alloys are difficult to produce at the commercial level, Professor Kitagaoa intends to use this method to develop new alloys that can be used to replace rare metals.

According to the Yomiuri daily newspaper, the successful creation of artificial rare metal is a new breakthrough, which could help reduce Japan's dependence on rare metals imported from other countries in the future. In addition to the above alloy, the team also successfully fabricated alloys to replace other rare metals.

Rare metals exist only in very small quantities on Earth and are difficult to extract or extract economically. Because only a small number of these rare metals can be used to change and improve the properties of other materials, rare metals are considered the " vitamins " of the industry. For example, palladium is essential for the production of electronic components, while lithium is used to produce batteries.